How Can Breath of Fire Improve Your Vitality?

Kapalabhati, or breath of fire is a powerful breathing technique that works to increase agni (digestive fire) and burn up stagnation in your abdomen.  It is very cleansing for the lungs and digestion.  It creates blood flow to your pelvis and reproductive organs so it is a great exercise to do to support fertility health.  It also benefits the mind – the translation of Kapalabhati is ‘forehead shining’ to signify the bright awareness that gets cultivated in the mind as a result of consistent practice.  In TCM, both the abdomen and the mind are important aspects of conception.  The mind (which the heart houses) is where the hormones are controlled.  The abdomen energy feeds the gonads of both men and women and needs to be supplied with fresh blood and energy in order to function optimally.  

Breath of fire is used in Kundalini yoga and is combined with specific poses to create various benefits in the body.  For the sake of simplicity, I recommend starting practicing in a cross legged position so you can focus on the technique. The practice is best done on an empty stomach.

Begin by sitting comfortably with loose fitting clothes.  It is important not to have constriction in your abdomen so that you can do the exercise comfortably.

Take a few deep inhalations and exhalations to prepare.

Then inhale and forcefully exhale with your mouth closed as you feel your abdomen constrict with the exhalation.  It is important to note that all of the breath happens in the abdomen and not the chest.  This is a practice that takes time to get used to.

All you need to focus on is the pumping of the abdomen as you exhale and the inhale will happen automatically.  This is an exhalation based breathing technique.  This is a great video that I found showing for a visual of breath of fire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V86Xao9bcRI.

You can begin by doing the breath of fire for a continuous 30 seconds and slowly increasing it over time. The best time to do this is in the morning before breakfast.  This should be avoided for women who are pregnant or menstruating.  

 Photo by Liset Verhaar 

Abyangha: The Ayurvedic Art of Self Anointing

One of the most basic yet powerful 'take home' practices in ayurveda is called 'Abyangha'.  Abyangha is the practice of self anointing or self massage.  Each dosha or body type (vata, pitta, or kapha) responds best to a specific carrier oil (i.e. sesame oil, coconut oil, almond oil) and essential oil blend.  Each essential oil works best to balance either one, two, or all three doshas.  Based on individual assessment, an oil is prescribed and created.

The word abyangha means 'glowing body' or 'towards movement' in Sanskrit.  It was done to keep the body young,  strong, and believed to prevent sickness and injury.  Massage has powerful healing effects on the body and has been shown to strengthen the immune systems and help growth in premature babies.  Abyangha helps move the lymph in the body, promotes circulation, eases tension, and increases a sense of well being.  It also promotes deep sleep, aids in detoxification of the body, helps digestion, and firms the skin.  It takes an extra 5-10 minutes a day to give yourself so many benefits - it's obvious that the pay off is much higher than the effort.  

The original abyangha practice was done before bathing, but I personally do it after bathing because I like to 'seal' and moisturize my skin with a beautiful smelling oil to start my day.  The original practice also calls for massaging the scalp with oil but in our modern age that may be a little ambitious and not very acceptable by many women!  So my suggestion is to massage every square centimeter of your scalp with shampoo.  Do the same for the ears with soap.  

Before getting into the shower, place the amount of oil you need for your body (about 2 tbsp full) into a small glass dish, then place the small glass dish into a bowl with shallow hot water which warms up the glass container (the hot water should not touch the oil).  This way the oil is warm and ready for you when you come out of the shower.  I also recommend dry skin brushing before starting the shower as well.  Similarly to the below instructions, skin brushing begins with the most distal part of the limbs and always moves in the direction of the heart - this should be done while the skin is dry.  

Once you are dry and ready after the shower, begin by rubbing the oil on the tops of your feet (skip the bottom of your feet to avoid slipping), and massage each part of the top of your feet while moving up to your ankles, shins, calves, knees, and top of your legs.  Don't miss any parts - front and back of everything.  You always want to massage towards your heart.  Then move up from the back and front of your torso - again, towards your heart. Go to the hands and move towards your heart.  Make sure to reach to your traps and shoulders as well, along with your neck.  Be aware to stimulate the lymph nodes (arm pits, groin, neck) with light pressure when you are in those areas.  

After a week of practicing this you are bound to feel a notable sense of peace come over you.  It really does cultivate a sense of love inside of you.  And when you feel love within, you naturally exude it to all those you encounter.  So yes, this can bring about change in the world!  

Ayurveda and the Doshas

Ayurveda is an ancient Indian medicine which views and treats the body according to the elemental characteristics that it presents.  There are three main body types (or Doshas):  Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.  

Vata dosha presents as body type that is slim, delicate with a small belly.  People who are primarily vata don't have defined muscles but are more frail and pale.  The elements that rule vata are ether and air.  The vata constitution has the following characteristics: Cold, Light, Dry, Rough , Subtle, Mobile, Clear.  Vata governs breathing, heart, movement of muscles, sensory perception, nerve conduction, communication, flexibility, joy and consciousness.  

Too much vata can cause anxiety, fear, constriction (physical and emotional), constipation, poor circulation, dry skin, being underweight, insomnia, shakiness / twitching. 

Pitta dosha presents as a body which is medium shape, muscular, and very proportional.  People who are primarily pitta may tend to get hot easily and have acne or excess sweating.  The elements that rule pitta are fire and water.  The pitta constitution has the following characteristics:  Hot, light, sharp, liquid, oily, spreading.  Pitta governs digestion, transformation, appetite / digestion, absorption, intelligence, courage, clear communication, and ambition.  

Too much pitta can show as anger, impatience, jealousy, inflammation, burning, loose stools, rashes, migraines, bleeding and skin disorders, insatiable appetite, and overactive metabolism.

Kapha dosha presents as a body type with a larger build and has a tendency to retain water.  People who are primarily kapha tend to move slower, resist change, and lack motivation.  The elements that rule kapha are water and earth.  The kapha constitution has the following characteristics:  Slow, heavy, oily, cool, smooth, dense, cloudy, grounded.  Kapha governs growth, nourishment, stability, fat regulation, and compassion.  

Too much kapha can cause greediness, attachment, resistance to change, a sluggish metabolism, hardening of the arteries, cholesterol,and tumors / masses.

Most people will find themselves to be a combination of two of the doshas.  All though they do exist, there are few people who are one pure dosha or a perfect combination of all three.

Figuring out a person's dosha is important in order to gain insight into what is needed to find balance.  Balance is attained by eating food that is in contrast to the tendencies (i.e. if a person shows a lot of heat from pitta, eating cool foods to lower the body's heat), or using herbs, essential oils, and life habits / actions in order to control excess elements. 

Balance is important because when the body is in harmony, it is able to do its' job and thrive!